Danish special troops currently stationed in Iraq have been given the green light to cross into Syria to combat Isis extremists.
In a move that was foreshadowed last year, the government asked the Foreign Affairs Committee to expand parliament’s mandate to allow the troops to enter Syria.
A majority of parliament supported the plan, although the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), Social Liberals (Radikale), Socialist People’s Party (SF) and The Alternative all opposed it.
The decision is seen as a response to a 2015 request from the US that Denmark step up its efforts against Isis and a follow-through on then Defence Minister Peter Christensen’s pledge to US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter last month that Denmark would contribute to the international coalition against Isis wherever it is most needed.
Denmark, like all Nato countries, is also under pressure from incoming US President Donald Trump to carry its weight in the international coalition against Isis, which Denmark joined in October 2014. Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said on Friday that Denmark’s role in the coalition is “an important foreign affairs and security priority for the government”.